Boogie on down to music festivals this summer

   One-Tank Trip for June 24/17

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Music fans will be able to “boogie” on down at numerous music festivals over the summer.

   Get a groove on at one of the many fests, “no matter your musical tastes,” says Nichole Fogarty of Festivals & Events Ontario.

   “With so many music festivals to choose from, we recommend you get your mojo working at more than just one this year,” she added.

Kenny Rogers will perform his “Final World Tour: The Gambler’s Last Deal” at the Ottawa Jazz Festival.

   Here are a few suggestions to get your toes tapping:

   - TD Ottawa Jazz Festival, June 22 to July 2, is the “premier music event” in downtown Ottawa that continues the tradition of bringing jazz to the National Capital Region.

   - RBC Bluesfest, July 6 to 16, in Ottawa is ranked by Billboard Magazine as one of the Top 10 music festivals with a world-award winning 10-day, multi-stage extravaganza.

150+ seniors to exercise in St. Marys, Ontario to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday

   ST. MARYS, Ontario -- Wellness for Seniors will celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with an exercise class with at least 150 people taking part.

   Participant Nelda Oliver said the Senior Services Wellness Coordinator and Head Fitness instructor will have the seniors participate in the exercise class on June 29th (2017) with everyone wearing red or white shirts for Canada Day.

   The event takes place next Thursday at 10:45 a.m. at the Friendship Centre, 317 James St. S., St. Marys, with the exercise class starting at 11a.m., she said.

   “We will be celebrating our wonderful country,” said Pauline White, Senior Services Wellness Coordinator for the Town of St. Marys.

Putting the 'wow' in summer fun; lakeside living tour; Toronto artisans

   One-Tank Trip for June 17/17

   (c) By Jim Fox

   It’s an event that’s sure to “wow” the spectators.

   In fact, all the pomp and ceremony is part of experiencing a traditional pow wow.

   You can take in all the action at the Na-Me-Res (Native Men’s Residence) Annual Traditional Pow Wow on June 24 at Historic Fort York in Toronto.

Pow wows feature native dancers wearing their colourful regalia. (Photo by Daniel Banko)

    The free event features traditional dancing, drumming, kid’s activities, craft vendors and a feast.

   Dressed in their finest regalia, the dancers and singers represent major North American native cultural groups.

   “We anticipate well over 10,000 people sharing and celebrating National Aboriginal Day with more than 100 dancers,” said organizer Blanch White.

   Participants include head dancers Breanna Olsen and Matt Rutledge who will be “swinging and swaying” to the traditional beats.

New visitor experiences this year in the "Festival City"

   One-Tank Trip for June 10/17

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The curtain is rising on a new visitor experience in Stratford.

   It’s a “year of transformation” in arts and culture, the culinary scene and “retail therapy,” said Cathy Rehberg of the Stratford Tourism Alliance.

   The new Market Square, set to be completed this month, will welcome people into a pedestrian friendly space.

   Among the trees, there are places to sit and relax with a good book, meet friends, enjoy lunch from a nearby eatery or wile away the day, she said.

Enjoying High Tea at the Revival House in Stratford. (Photo by Terry Manzo)

   Just a short walk through Queen’s Park to Confederation Park brings you to a new butterfly-shaped pollinator garden creating a welcoming home for bees.

   The alliance provides the following “brief synopsis” of what’s happening in the Festival City.

   Arts and culture

   The Stratford Festival presents 14 plays now through Oct. 31 around the theme of identity and brings the world premiere of the Breathing Hole by Colleen Murphy, specially commissioned to mark Canada 150.

Breathing Hole, marking Canada’s 150th birthday, features Randy Hughson as Sir John Franklin at the Stratford Festival. (Photo by Lynda Churilla)

Canada's iconic padde sports celebrated with a splash

   One-Tank Trip for June 3/17

 

   By Jim Fox

   Go ahead and “paddle your own canoe” while joining others across Canada “celebrating” recreational paddle sports, craft and heritage.

   National Paddling Week has events from June 10 to 18 for a sport that’s “truly ingrained in our Canadian culture, such as the iconic canoe.”

A record 138 canoes and kayaks jammed into the Peterborough Lift Lock last year on National Canoe Day.

   As well, the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough paddles in with a Voyageur Canoe Paddle PA Day on June 9 and the Lock n’ Paddle for National Canoe Day on June 24.

   Paddling Week was created in 2013 by Rapid Media, Paddle Canada and the canoe museum to promote recreational paddling through individuals, groups, families, events instructors, industry, clubs, communities and other recreational paddlers.

   Organizers say the goal is to “encourage as many Canadians to get into a canoe, kayak or onto a board and be counted . . . to show our national commitment to the fun, the benefits and challenge of paddling.”

   The iconic canoe throughout time has been the means of transport and commerce of the First Nations, then later as a vehicle for the fur traders.